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Two fines imposed in the Netherlands: Epic Games is accused of carrying out unfair commercial practices in in-game advertising.
Os Netherlands imposed two fines worth more than 1.1 million euros to Epic Gamescreator of the video game Fortnite, for unfair commercial practices, considering that the In-game advertising manipulated minors into making purchases.
A Rotterdam court sided with the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) to impose two fines on Epic Games, totaling €1,125,000, as well as a binding order to modify the game’s ‘Item Shop’ as well as reduce the pressure about players underage to spend money on Fortnite.
According to the court, messages and buttons with direct calls such as “buy now” or “buy it now”, together with a ‘design’ that highlights the purchase option and relegates the options for leaving the store, constitute a direct purchase incentive aimed at childrenunder Dutch legislation that expressly prohibits this type of practice.
Players can make purchases to customize the appearance of their characters. They will have been pressured to pay for so-called “emotes” and “wrappings” through advertisements with slogans such as “buy now” and countdown counters, describes the .
Epic also needs to comply with several other measures, such as removing timers, around the world.
Citing a UNICEF study, the Dutch court recalled that children who make purchases in online games like Fortnite often regret it.
And the younger the players, the more likely they are to make purchases.
